Crufts

With all the dog lovers on the site i wonder if anyone has been or are going to Crufts. I had planned to go many years back but had to cancel due to health reasons.

Has anyone shown at Crufts, never managed to win anything with my dogs so never qualified to show them.

And is there a cat equivalent ?, went to a cat show in Glasgow when i was working up there.

Re: Crufts

Not going never been.. Always think the worst thing for a breed is to win crufts..
Suddenly every idiot wants one and every unethical back yard breeder is churning them out..

Re: Crufts

We went years ago all excited it would be dogs all day, came away unhappy and disappointed and worried about whether we had contributed to cruelty

Many people are fantastic and their dogs are their world you can see which ones care and which don't by the number of dogs left alone for ages in cages and on benches.

Re: Crufts

Yes, this always worries me too, have never been, winning Crufts (as mentioned above) is a disaster for the breed.

Re: Crufts

Put quite simply, I don't like dog shows, baby shows, talent shows or anything similar. To my mind all are equal, it doesn't matter how good they look it's what's inside that matters. I hate anything where "prettiness and perfection" count because it always makes someone unhappy or discontented.

Re: Crufts

I've only been a couple of times over the years, but not to show my dogs, (they'd be laughed out the ring), but because I like to wander round the hundreds and hundreds of trade stands.
I used to like to keep up to date with new ideas for bedding, feeds, grooming equipment and so on, and you get loads of free samples and discounts on things like wormers etc. Many companies have what they call "Crufts Prices," and when the show is over the prices go back up, so you can get some good bargains.
I found it interesting to look at different breeds, especially my own breed, to see what some faceless wonder demands they are supposed to look like They all look like clones of each other, and I don't want mine to join the land of the clones. To me, its a bit like picking a partner as long as they look perfect, and if they don't conform, they're out on their earhole, and a 'better' one is moved in.
It's an obsession more than a hobby with some people.

I have always said, and still do, dogs shows are for the owners prestige, another rosette means nothing to the dog.
And as for so many being benched on their own a lot of the time, this is why it could be so easy to 'knobble' a dog that looks likely to win the class. Not unheard of - same as in horse racing.

Re: Crufts

I used to go every year when I was young and worked with dogs. It was held in London then .

I also taught a runner up to best in show how to trim a handle his dogs , he bought a bitch from us and went on to breed from her.


Millie, Matty, Flicka, Franny, Emma.

Carry


Jay
all shown at Crufts.

I hated Crufts, it was dirty and noisy.We went to all the Championship shows and I much prefered those held outdoors in the summer.

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Like the little Spaniel, Carry, Meg. She looks a sweetie.
They do exaggerate the length of the ears on the show types though don't they.
A friend of mine has bred working cockers and springers for over 60 odd years, and they are completely different size, shape and ears. They are working dogs when all's said and done, and they'd soon damage big ears like that if they had to work.
Having said that, Carry's got a lovely expression. I like her.

Re: Crufts

We only attended local shows, and the odd Championship event, very much social days out and enjoyable days. The Champonship events were a bit more impersonal but again by and large canny events.

But at the higher end money stars to erode thr ordinary pleasure that comes with owning a pet hence some of the bad behaviour mentioned.

Thankfully it was still rare to see, and of course its great to see the sheer joy of working dogs being put through their paces, but i did find some of the breed standards bizarre, and the resulting health problems associated with them seem to go against common sense.

Re: Crufts

I agree with you Nom.